The construction of railroads in Missouri was a tedious process, interrupted by weather, wars, and bankruptcy. Sixteen years after the first rail was laid in St. Louis, one railroad finally reached its destination, Springfield. Along the way were bankrupt men, a near bankrupt state, crushed hopes, sweat and blood, and feuds. But the railroads created new towns, gave employment to thousands, and eventually became part of one of the nation’s best known railway systems.
